Apparatus for making pile fabrics



Feb. 19, 1946. R. FORD ETAL APPARATUS FOR MAKING PILE FABRICS Filed June 20, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 EN TQRS Ric/70rd 6'. Ford Feb. 19, 1946.

R. E. FORD ET AL APPARATUS FOR MAKING FILE FABRICS 4 SheetsSheet 2 5 M Q Q M W fl m m b 4 m 0 I: J

1946. R. E. FORD ETAL APPARATUS FOR MAKING FILE FABRICS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 BY \mw c6 Filed June 20, 1942 Feb. 19, 1946.

R. E. FORD ET AL APP ARATUS FOR MAKING FILE FABRICS Filed June 20. 1942 4 Sheet s-Sheet 4 uwmggy INVEN TORS Rik/Iain 6'. Ford By John W. Hun 1 v Patented Feb. 19, 194a 2,395,217 APPARATUS FOR MAKING PILE FABRICS Richard E. Ford, Philadelphia, Pa., and John W. Hunt, Trenton, N. 3., assignors, by direct and mcsne assignments, to Continental Carpet Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 20, 1942, Serial No. 447,808 l 1 Claim.

The present invention provides an improved method and apparatus for manufacturing pile fabrics having a pile composed of individual, upstanding filaments or fibers adhesively secured to a base material. More particularly, it provides a method and apparatus which is especially adapted for use in manufacturing felt base carpets having a flocculent pile, of the type disclosed in the copending application of John W. Hunt, filed June 20, 1942, Serial No. 447,813.

In previous attempts to provide fiocculent coatings in imitation of a pile fabric or the like, it

was found necessary to treat and thoroughly clean the fibers or filaments of cotton, flax, wool, hair, jute, or the like, to remove all of the naturaloils and greases, so that the fibers would not stick together. This process was popularly referred to in the art as dry-cleaning the fibers or filaments. The purpose underlying dry-cleaning, of course, was to render the fibers completely separated from each other so that they could be sifted through a screen onto the surface to be coated. it has been found, however, that in the drycleaning process the fibers lose much of their natural oil and grease and are rendered lifeless in appearance, and dried up and brittle in texture. A coating prepared with such fibers cannot withstand ordinary rough usage for normal periods of timewithout showing appreciable'wear.

Another dimculty experienced with existing forms of flock-coating apparatus results from the use of a screen or sifter for distributing the fibers over the surface to be coated. It has been found that it is difficult to obtain a uniformly coated surface due to the fact that the short fibers or fines are usually bunched in one area of the surface coating and the longer fibers are bunched in a different area. This lack of uniformity is particularly objectionable on fabrics with imita tion pile surfaces wherein the fabrics have appreciable widths and lengths. In the conical type sitter which is rotatable axially and wherein the flock is fed into the siftcr at its largest diameter, it has been found that the shorter iibers are deposited nearer the feeding end of the sifter and the longer fibers are deposited near the apex end. An extremely uneven distribution is obtained, and

this has seriously prevented the production of flock-coated fabrics of appreciable widths.

Another limitation on previous attempts to make flock-coated floor coverings with a deep pile effect resulted from the inability of screens or sitters to handle fibers of substantial length.

Fibers of ,65 of an inch represented the longest which could be handled with known methods and apparatus. 7

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for applying a ilocculent coating of individual upstanding fibers to a base material without first removing the natural oils and greases from the fibers or filaments.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide an improved apparatus for distributing the flock uniformly over the entire surface to be coated.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved beater mechanism for agitating the fabric to embed the flock firmly in the adhesive coating and to cause each fiber to assume a substantially vertical upstanding position so as to simulate closely a wovenpile fabric.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus for applying doc culent coatings composed of individual upstanding fibers to an adhesive base material in simulation of a woven pile fabric, wherein the incitvidual fibers may be of lengths substantially in excess of lengths capable of being handled by known methods and apparatus, .to provide a deep pile effect.

Other objects of the invention will be made apparent as the description progresses.

In the following description the word flock has been used for convenience to identify fibers or filaments of cotton, silk, rayon, flax, jute, hair or wool, or mixtures thereof, or any other fibrous material which is suitable for use as pile-forming fibers. The fibers may range in length upwards from what is known as flock dust to spinnable lengths of one-half inch and more, although the advantages of the present invention are best realized when fibers one-quarter inch or longer are used.

The present invention provides an improved method and'apparatus for separating flocculent pile-forming fibers from each other without removing their natural oils and greases. It also provides an improved method and apparatus for distributing the flock so separated over wide widths of base material while at the same time assuring a uniformity of pile surface The inven tion also provides improved beating or agitating means which serve to embed the flock firmly in the adhesive coating and to cause the flock. to assume upstanding vertical positions in clos simulation of woven pile fabrics.

One feature of the present invention is the provision of a carding breast for separating the flock fibers one from the other. When the dock is cut from long lengths of fibrous material into the short lengths required, the natural oils and greases cause the individual'fibers to stick together in what are commonly called pills. In

. order to separate the fibers from each other and at the same time to avoid dry-cleaning them (which would remove the greases and oils), we have provided a novel carding breast for the purpose. The breast comprises a rotating cylinder of an axial length at least equal to the width of the pile fabric to be formed and provided over its entire surface area. with wire teeth. A plurality of small working cylinders, similarly provided with wire teeth, are disposed slightly out of contact with the teeth on the cylinder and are caused to rotate with a surface speed less than the surface speed of the large cylinder. The pills are broken down and separated into individual fibers through the relative movement of the closely set teeth as the pills try to pass between the teeth on the large cylinder and on the smaller workers of the carding breast. The individual, separated fibers also are aligned or carded on the surface of the cylinder, from which they are readily transferred by means of a fancy cylinder (having longer teeth actually engaging the teeth on the large cylinder) which serves to brush the carded individual fibers onto the adhesive-coated surface of the base material. The carding device of the present invention, in conjunction with the feed hopper, serves the several functions of separating the flock fibers, aligning them, and distributing them evenly and in measured quantities over the adhesive-coated surface of the basematerial, thus assuring a uniform pile surface.

According to the present invention the base material first passes under a plurality of vertically disposed pipes connected with a source of adhesive fiuid which is permitted to drip through the pipes onto the surface of the base material. The base material then passes under a doctor blade which spreads the adhesive laterally and forms a continuous film of adhesive on the upper surface. The base material then passes beneath the carding breast and the fiocculent fibers are brushed onto the adhesive coating by the fancy cylinder.

The base material with its fiocculent fiber coating next passes over a plurality of oscillating heaters which deliver substantially vertical beating blows against the base material and cause the fibers to assume substantially vertical, upstanding positions and to be embedded slightly in the adhesive coating. From the beatingstation the pile fabric next passes to a dryer where the adhesive is set and the pile fabric finished.

For a better understanding of the invention reference may now be had to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Y Figure 1 is a plan view of the'preferred form which the apparatu of the present invention may assume. It is partly brokenaway to reveal details of underlying structure. It also represents one form of apparatus which may be utilized in practicing the methods of the present invention for the purpose of producing continuous, flockcoated base materials;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, and including a side elevational showing of the feed hopper and suction appa ratus in working position;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in end elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2, and looking from the right toward the left;

elevation showing structural details of the carding breast, beater bars and height gauge bars of the present invention;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the teeth engagement between the fancy and the swift cylinders of the carding breast for transferring the flock fibers from the breast to the adhesive-coated base material;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of one of the beater bars and its supporting and driving mechanism, with the driving mechanism of the next adjacent beater bar also being shown;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 1-1 in Fig. 6 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8-8 in Fig. 7, viewed in the direction of the arrows, and showing in detail the mechanism for rocking the beater bars;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing the suction apparatus and system;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary view in side elevation showing in greater detail the adjustable height gauge bars for varying the effective blows delivered by the beater bars;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary plan view of the vertically adjustable doctor knife and associated parts shown in Fig. 12;

Fig. 12 is a sectional view in end elevation taken on the line; l2--l2 in Fig. 11 and viewed in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary view in elevation showing one of the adjusting screws for raising and lowering the doctor knife;

Fig. 14 is a view taken on the line M-H in Fig. 2 and showing in section the initial feeding trough and one collector trough forming part of the suction system; and

Fig. 15 is a plan view of the troughs shown in Fig. 14 when viewed on the line i5-i5 in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings, it will be observed that the apparatus illustrated therein is supported on two frames I0, l5, which, when viewed in plan (Fig. 1), are disposed in alignment to facilitate continuous operation. The frame It) has a pair of horizontal side rails H, II, and depending legs l2. Intermediate rails l3, H are also provided and are suitably supported at each end in the transverse end sections. Frame I 5 has side rails 6 and depending legs H. An extension i8 is provided on frame i0 and serves to support in suitable bearings a horizontally disposed roll of base material I! to which the flocculent fibers are to be secured in simulation of a natural pile and which is to serve as the base material for th final pile fabric or carpet. The base material I9 is led on in a continuous sheet over a pair of guide rollers 20, 2|, suitably supported at each side in bearings provided in the frame member i0. Disposed above the roller 2| is a doctor knife 22 which serves to spread across the upper surface of the base material a film of adhesive which is dropped in measured quantities from a plurality of pipes 23 depending from a laterally disposed tank 24 suitably supported upon the frame l0 and which serves as a reservoir for the adhesive. Each pipe is provided with a petcock (not shown) to control the flow of adhesive from each pipe. The doctor knife Hand its cooperating roller 2| are best shown in Fig. 12. The leading edge of the knife, 25, serves as the smearing edge and spreads the adhesive in a fine film over the upper surface of the base material to Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view in s de be coated.

type usually found on carding breasts.

The continuous sheet of adhesive-coated ma terial next passes beneaththe flock fiber feeding apparatus comprising a hopper 2G and a carding breast 21. The hopper 26 preferably is kept filled with pile-forming fibers, which will be in random disposition and in matted or pill form. A plurality of windows 28 provided in the hopper permit inspection of the contents and enable the operator to observe the height of the fibers therein. The hopper extends laterally across the entire machine. The lower end of the hopper 26 is of progressively reduced cross section and acts much like a. funnel. Midway it is provided with a hori zontally-disposed rotatable cylinder 39 having peripheral grooves which serve to deliver measured quantities of flock to the carding breast.

The flock is delivered to the carding breast 2? in unseparated condition with the fibers disposed in random position and many of them matted or in pills. The carding breast performs the several functions of separating the flock fibers one from the other, of aligning or carding them. and of distributing them uniformly and in predetermined quantities over the adhesive-coated surface of the base material.

As best seen in Fig. 4. the breast comprises a large cylinder 32 which is commonly referred to as the,swift. The swift is mounted for rotation about its axis and is iournaled in a pair ofbrackets 33 suitably supported on the side rails H, H. Four smaller cylinders 36, 35, 38, 37, are disposed above the periphery of the swift and are mounted also for rotation about their axes in journals formed in supporting frame 38 mounted on. the side rails H, H. The small cylinders 3 3 to 31, inclusive, are commonly referred to as workers. Each of the cylinders is intended to rotate in the directions indicated by the arrows. The swift and each of the workers are covered with wire teeth or carding cloth of the The teeth are preferably disposed at the angles indicated in the drawings. It has been found that one-quarter inch wires are quite suitable. The teeth of the workers do not actually'mesh with or enter the teeth of the swift. They are set very close to each other, with only a slight clearance. Suitably journaled in the supporting frame is an intermediate-sized cylinder td having.

larger teeth actually enterin the teeth on the swift. This cylinder M3 is commonly called the fancy in the carding art. According to the present invention, the fancy fill brushes the separated and carded fibers from the surface of the swift to the adhesive-coated surface of the base material for the pile fabric or carpet in process of manufacture. In one embodiment of the invention the swift cylinder was 18 inches 'in di ameter, the workers were 5 inches in diameter, and the fancy was 12 inches in diameter. The swift and workers had one-quarter inch wires andthe fancy had one and one-half inch wires.

The surface speed of the swift was about twenty ;-times the surface speed of the workers, and the surface speed of the fancy was twice the surface speedof the swift. Thus th flock fibers from the hopper willbe carried by the swift past the yworkers 36, 35, 3B and 37 in succession, with like effect as if the workers were non-rotatable. The teeth on the swift 32 are disposed at an angle tothe periphery such that they will seize the flock fibers delivered from the hopper-and carry them forward. The teeth on the workers 3d,

35 and 36 are disposed at an angle, as shown, to intercept and engage any pills which are carbase material then passes over an idler roller 42 v ried forward. The teeth on worker 31, however, have a reverse angularity which restricts their function to carding the already-separated flock fibers. The teeth on the fancy 40 also have a reverse angularity but actually engage the teeth on the swift. Because of its double surface speed the fancy brushes the carded fibers from the surface of the swift toward the adhesive-coated surface of the base material 59.

From the fiber-receiving station the continuous and thence to the beater station where a plurality of heaters agitate the flock-carrying base material by means of beating blows delivered on the. reverse side, and thereby cause the individual fibers to assume upstanding positions and to be embedded slightly in the adhesive. The heater bars are shown in side elevation in Fig. 7 and in plan view in Fig. 6, together with the driving mechanism for oscillating the individual bars. It will be observed that each beater has a central shaft Ell which is mounted in bearings 5|, 5'2, provided on the side rail H' and intermediate rails it, ill of the machine frame. Secured to the shaft 59 and mounted for oscillation therewith is a substantially rectangular frame 54. having side frame members 55, 5d and crosspieces El which are secured to the shaft 50 by set screw or other convenient means. As best seen in Fig. 4, the side frame members 55, 56 are arcuate in lateral cross section. The upper edge of each member is the striking edge which actually engages and beats the base material it.

Each shaft til is connected through a plate coupling Bill to a rock-shaft ti suitably journaled in bearings provided in a housing 62 surrounding the driving mechanism for each individual beater bar. Journaled also within the housing 62 is a stub-shaft 63 to which is attached a pulley 64 disposed outside the housing. Mounted within the housing 62 and on the shaft 63 is an eccentric mechanism, best seen in Fig. 8, which comprises a pair of disk plates iii secured to the shaft 63 for rotation therewith. The plates lll carry an eccentric pin it which fits in a slot l2 provided in a link It, which, in turn, is secured to the rockshaft 8i. With rotation of the shaft 83 and disks it, the pin ll will oscillate the link 13 in the manner shown in phantom in Fig. 8, and this, in turn, will impart an oscillatory motion to the shaft 50 on which the beater bar frame 54 is mounted. The side members b5, 56 of each beater, hence, will alternately strike the reverse side of the base material ill. The pulleys 6d are caused to rotateent invention embodies four heaters, as illustrated in'the drawings, it is preferable to have the single motor it drive the two central beater driving mechanism 62 (Fig. 1) and to drive the two outer mechanisms 62' from the next adjacent mechanism 62 by means of a belt and pulley connection. Six or more beaters could be used in the same way with a single prime mover and each individual driving mechanism in turn driving the next adjacent mechanism. It will be particularly noted in Fig. 4 that the beater bars do not beat in synchronization. An irregular beat has been found to be highly advantageous and assures a much better product. The heaters preferably do not strike at the same time, nor do they strike with any apparent regularity. Th'e beats are carefullymade as irregular and unordered as possible.

In order to adjust or vary the effective beating blows delivered by the beaters against the'base material, the present invention provides a plurality of transverse adjustment bars 80 which are adiustably mounted in the side frames II, II. Preferably an adjustment bar 80 is provided on each side of each beater, and serves to support the continuous sheet of base material as it passes through the beater station. As best seen in Fig. 10. the height of the base material above the normal position of the beater is determined bythe height of the adjustment bars 80. It will be observed that each bar has at each end a screwthreaded angle-supporting member 8| which is attached to the side rail II or II of the apparatus. The threaded member 8| is screwed in position by upper and lower nuts 83, 84, which engage the upper and lower faces of the rail II. By loosening the nut 83 and tightening the nut 04, the position of the bar 80 may be lowered. By tightening the nut 83 and loosening the nut 54, the bar may be raised to the position shown in phantom in Fig. 10. It will be noted that the oscillatory motion of the beater bars is made substantially constant, a will be the arc of movement of each beater on each stroke. Hence, with the present invention the efi'ective beat may be varied merely by raising or lowering the adjustment bars 80 to vary the effective beat on the base material itself. It will also be observed in Fig. 10 that the adjustment bars preferably are provided with arcuate working edges over which the base material rides.

As the continuou sheet of base material I9 passes the last beater. it has been found that substantially all of the individual fibers will be embedded in the adhesive coatin and will be disposed in substantially uniform upstanding position in simulation of a natural pile fabric. Such of the fibers as have not been embedded in the adhesive will be removed by one or more suction nozzles 90 which are distributed laterally across the apparatus. The surplus fibers which are removed by the suction nozzles are returned to the hopper 26, in the manner shown in Fig, 2, through ducts 9|, suction pump 92 and duct 93.

Disposed below the feed mechanism and beater bars are collector troughs 95, 96. The excess of the individual fibers which fall past the edges of the base material is collected in the troughs 95, 95, and, through suitable ducts and the suction pump 92, is returned to the hopper 26.

It will be-noted from Fig. 2 that the continuous sheet of base material is pulled forward con stantly by a driven roller I00 which is covered with small spikes or pins on its periphery which engage the base material,

From the pile fabric forming apparatus thus far described, the continuous sheet is next led over an idler roller IOI and then through a heated chamber I supported on frame I5. The heated chamber I05 is intended to set the adhesive while the fabric is passing therethrough, riding on a plurality of rollers I 04, as shown. The heated chamber I05 should be wide enough to accommodate the full width of the base material, and, preferably, should be of sufllcient length to permit the fabric to travel therethrough continuously as it is delivered from the beater station, and to remain therein suillciently long to set the adhesive. It willbe observed that the heated chamber I05 is provided at each end with heater units I01 and with fans I08 which blow across the heater units and inject hot air into the chamber itself. A suitable chimney I09 is provided. It has been found that if the adhesive is rubber cement, frequentl called spreading cement, the adhesive will be suitably set or vulcanized in twelve minutes if the chamber is maintained at 200 F, For continuous operation, therefore, it would be preferable to provide a chamber I05 having sufficient overall length that the travel of the fabric therethrough will approxi mate five minutes. i

The finished pile fabricshown leaving the chamber I05 passes over an idler roller H0 and is wound on a reel I II suitably supported from v the frame I5.

It will be noted from Figs. 2, l l and 15 that a small auxiliary'trough H5 is provided adjacent trough 06 and in the same duct. The trough II5 serves as a feed trough for supplying flock fibers initially to the hopper 26. When a supply of fibers is placed in the trough, a valve H6 in duct II! is turned to the open position as shown in Figs. 14 and 15, and the suctionof the pump 82 immediately transfers the flock into the hopper 26.

It will also be noted from Figs. 11, 12 and 13 that the doctor knife primarily consists of a T-bar 22, which is provided with small extensions I20 at each end of the web. The doctor knife may be raised or lowered by mean of a pair of screws I2I which are screwed into a pair of threaded supports I22 fastened to the side rails II, II of the machine. The screws I2I are keyed to the knife bar extensions I20 as shown in Fig. 13. As the screws I2I are screwed into or out of the fixed supports I22, the leading edge 25 of the knife bar will be brought closer to or farther away from the roller 2I and base fabric I9, in this way the thickness of the film of adhesive may be regulated as desired, v

It will be noted of course that the grooved cylinder 30 will be operated in timed relation to the breast 21 to assure adequate deliveries of fiock, and that the base material I9 will be moved continuously by roller I00 in proper timed relation to the transfer of fiock from the swift to the adhesive-coated base material to assure a uni formly-thick, flock coating.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that flock fibers of substantial and spinnable lengths may be used for pile-forming purposes. It has now been found possible to utilize a length of fiber greatly in excess of the limits heretofore encountered. As previously stated, it has been found impractical heretofore to use fibers longer than V of an inch when sifters or screens were used for distributing the fibers over the adhesive-coated surface of the base material. Fibers averaging one-half inch in length have been handled satisfactorily with the apparatus of the present invention, and it has been found that fibers longer than that do not present any serious problems.

It will also be observed from the foregoing description that the beater bars impart substantially vertical blows against the back of the base material. Whatever tendency the flock may have to lie at an angle due to the slight angularity of the line of application of the beating force as the beating edge of member 56 (Fig. 4) strikes the base material, will be neutralized by there-1' verse angularity of the line of force as the edge. of member 55 in turn strikes vthe base material;

This has been found in practice to result in the equivalent of vertical beats and to cause the pile-forming fibers to assume upstanding poshtions in close simulation of anatural pile. While we have shown and described the preferred form which the invention may assume, it is understood that the invention is not to be limited to the precise embodiment shown, but that variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claim.

What we claim is:

Apparatus for making pile fabric having a base and individual upstanding fibers adhesively secured to said base, comprising a feeding means for delivering continuous, measured quantities of flock fibers o! spinnable length to a carding breast having a swift cylinder and a plurality of worker cylin'ders each having wire teeth thereon, said cylinders adapted to cooperate to separateand to align the fibers on the surface of the swift, means for moving an adhesively-coated base material belowsaid carding breast, and a fancy cylinder having longer teeth disposed to enter the teeth on the swift and adapted on rotation to brush the carded fibers therefrom so that said fibres will move downwardly through space predominantly in end-up relation toward the adhesive coated base material.

RICHARD E. FORD.

JOHN w. HUNT. 

